Improvement in post-office boxes



PATENT Grafton.

lEMORY STOOKWELL AND WARREN H. TAYLOR, OF STAMFORD, CONN.

IMPROVEMENT IN POST-OFFICE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

140,092, dated J une 17, 1873; application filed March 26, 1873.

To all whom tt lmay concern:

Beit known that we, Enom;7 SfrocKwELL and WARREN H. TAYLOR, of Stamford, in the county of Faireld and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Post-Ofiice Box; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of animprovement in post-office letter-boxes and other similar boxes; and the 4invent-ion consists of a post-oflice letter-box as a new article of manufacture, made of metal throughout so as to be non-combustible; and also in making such boxes in sets or groups, and providing them with doors, two or more of which are hung on one and the same pivot.

Since most government buildings wherein post-offices are located are constructed with the view of making them as nearly tire-proof as possible, it is important that this purpose be not thwarted by furnishing them with combustible material, which in case of fire would not only be certain to cause the destruction of the apartment wherein such furniture is placed, but also add to the chances of destroying the whole building. With these facts in view the inventors of the invention herein described have constructed the partitions, Src., forming a series of letter-boxes of thin metal. The material of which these boxes are so constructed not only renders them non-combustible, but another very great advanta-ge is derived therefrom which is that in very many post-offices they are dependent wholly or in part for light to that which finds its way through the front of the pigeon-holes or letter-boxes; therefore, by constructing the partitions of thin sheet metal the very least obstruction to the admission of light is offered compatible with the requirements of the construction.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of our improved post-office box; Fig. 2, a vertical section taken in the line xx; and Fig. 3, a transverse section taken in the line y y. y

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A represents apost-ofce box or pi geon-h ole,

of any desired size or shape. The sides or vertical partitions B B, and the vtop O and bottom O inclosin g it, are formed from thin sheet metal. The top and bottom or horizontal partitions G and O are firmly secured to the sides or vertical partitions B B by folding the edges down at right angles so that the folded edges will form ianges a a. lying snugly against the sides of the vertical partitions B B also, by folding the rear edge of said top, bottom, or horizontal partitions O C up at a right angle, the folded edge b forming a stop for the purpose hereinafter described, and the outer ends of this folded edge are again turned at right angles to said fold, forming flanges d d. The top and bottom or horizontal partitions, in a series of boxes having tlan ges formed as above, are firmly secured to the vertical sides or par- .titions B B by rivets c, which pass through said flan ges and vertical partitions, and through the flan ges of the adjoining top and bottom or horizontal partitions, by which means the whole of a given series of boxes are secured together so that, in fact, one box constitutes an integral part of the whole'serie-s. Onto the upper surface ot' the horizontal partit-ions O O is affixed in any desirable manner, midway between the vertical partitions B B and parallel to them, a rib, e, for the purpose hereinafter described. The partitions being thus constructed and secured together, forming the boxes or pigeon-holes, they are litted with a metallic front composed of vertical bars or moldings G G and horizontal bars or moldings H H, the purpose of which is to protect the edges of the partitions, add strength and stability to the structure, and add to the ornamental appearance of the boxes, and to support a door, D, which is attached to the front by means of pivotal pins ff, so that as `the door is swung open or shut these pins, which arel inserted through the horizontal bars or moldings H H of the i'ront into the top and bottom edge of the door, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, project through said horizontal bars H Il sufiiciently far to enable the door next above and below to be pivoted on said projecting ends, which form the pivots on which said doors will turn in like manner. The front vertical moldings, as described, is secured to above mentioned, composed of horizontal and l the edges of the pigeon-holes or boxes by having a groove formed in their rear faces, into which are received the metallic edges of the boxes or partitions to which the moldings are riveted. The moldings forming the fronts of the pigeon-holes or boxes may be made from cast metal or rolled. The top and bottom of the boxes or the horizontal partitions are pcrforated with a series of holes to allow the dust to sift through instead of being confined Within the boxes, and the rib e is placed, as above described, so that a letter within the box cannot fall or lie flatwise on the bottom of the same, in which position it might not be seen by the boxrent-er. Instead of forming this rib from a separate piece of metal, it may be formed in the metal itself, in this way producing a projecting rib or groove, which will answer the same purpose. The rear edges of the horizontal partitions are turned up at right angles to their faces, for the purpose of a'ording a stop which will prevent the letters from being accidentally pushed out at the rear end ot' the box when the door is opened.

From the foregoing description it will readily Vbe seen that post-office boxes constructed as described will not onlyT be non-combustible, but will offer but little obstruction to the admission of light into the post-office. It will also be exceedingly strong, comparatively light, and far cheaper than the postoflice boxes as now constructed with wooden boxes and metallic fronts, besides allowing a greater number of boxes to be placed in a given space.

Having thus described. our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a series of metallic post-ofce letter-boxes, in combination with a metallic front, as described.

2. A post-ofiice letterbox so constructed that two ot the doors thereofl swing on one pivot.

EMORY STOGKWE LL. WARREN H. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

EDWIN ScoFIELD, Jr., G. M. PLYMPTON. 

